Back in Spain. My God, never has such garbage employment sounded so good on paper. My last shift under this racist prick auctioneer was 25 hours straight without meals.

Somewhat disheartened; may as well just focus on the import business and live a slower life.

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Lets hear about the job, what happened?

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Welcome home Miguel ;

This is just a setback . more experience in life .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Training was great; we had a few very experienced lecturers who gave us invaluable knowledge on sales techniques. We pretty much dedicated it to learn some of the artists we work with, and meet some of them (like infamous Peter Max). Intense, but very rewarding; you also get to meet all the rookies and make friends.

The ugly times came when I boarded the ship. Right after putting my luggage in my cabin, I was sent to work as-is for the evening. Literal definition of "hitting the ground running". Principal auctioneer gives my coworker and I a talk on how we are liabilities and how we will learn "by diving into the pool". We are introduced to the clocking system, and we are instructed to surrender our passwords to the Gallery Director and clock 5 hours per day (when we'll work between 3 and 5 times that amount).

Next few days I spend moving heavy artwork and attending the ship's mandatory safety training sessions. I feel quite happy at this point, even though days are 14-17 hours; get to develop some muscle again. However, I am told to discriminate against Spanish speakers while distributing promotional leaflets and tickets because "at auction, they just gather in their own groups and talk amongst themselves". Not so good. Some Puerto Rican customers request artist leaflets and I keep hearing jokes like "maybe we should just give them books, the ones to connect the dots in them". Disgusted at this point.

First auction day arrives; lots of art setup and three discriminatory jokes during auction. One poking fun at Jews; one uncomfortable use of "that's how I roll", apologizing for not being black and using the expression; and one mocking the French.

Keep rotating the artwork in the gallery, holding promotional raffles and preparing graphic materials, for the usual 14-17 hours. I am told I need to do things with "more of a sense of urgency". Have my first argument with the auctioneer on discrimination; he keeps using the 'talk amongst themselves' reasoning.

Second cruise auction arrives; first thing in the morning the extra art movers ask me for directions on where to place artwork. Before I have the chance to redirect them to our Gallery Director, an associate cuts me off and mentions "do not talk to him, he doesn't know *****" twice. Auction starts, all in place. Our wax-off (person who takes away sold/unsold artwork from auction easels to make space for the new artwork to be auctioned) is missing; I am told to substitute him. First artwork on the floor, I am told to remove and seconds later, to replace it again. Due to the delay bringing it back from the back of the room, auctioneer proceeds to stop the auction dead humiliate me in public. "Chop, chop, we don't have all day!". He takes an energy drink and tosses it to me condescendingly. "Just find your Zen, or something". Audience reacts negatively, auctioneer tries to justify himself on how seriously they take their work. Cracks another joke on how a fellow from Texas could not pronounce 'Rembrandt' right. Auctioning the Rembrandt, he adds a special offer: "The person to win this artwork gets to spend a day with Miguel". Sounds funny —and it would have been if it hadn't been for the context of previous treatment.

Not particularly thrilled on that day. We store the artwork back, and proceed to some sales. "That girl over there, go talk to her". It's a 15-year-old. I realize I am trying to sell a $1,300 artwork on credit to a teenager (shivers). I feel disgusting for even trying to do that.

20 work hours into the day, I am ready to drop dead. My associate and I are told to rotate the gallery once again, before dawn. Not an option to do it the next morning, Gallery Director insists, as he gives us a list. We reluctantly go to the locker room and start picking artwork, one by one. Three hours into the rearrangement, I feel like murdering someone. I collapse against the wall in the locker room and try to make some sense. 23 hours of sleep deprivation. I keep tracking more artwork and loading it onto the cart with my associate, when I get the news that she has to cut and staple 1,000 invitations before that day's afternoon "in our own time". By 6.15am, I had been awake for more that a full day and I just decide to quit that bull****. I step down the ship to do some migration paperwork and get back on. I sleep for just under three hours.

At 9am I get a call from my auctioneer regarding the arrangement of the gallery, and some changes that need to be made. I told him right then that I was resigning.

For the next three days I had several talks with the auctioneer and the gallery director. "25 hours is actually pretty standard, you should expect it at least once a week". "When I was an associate, we did 30 hours". "We have had 5-foot tall girls not resign so soon". "You probably spent some money to get here". "But you have potential...". All the same arguments. I call headquarters and explain the situation; they tell me it's "pretty standard". I tell them to book my flight home, and two days later, that's the end of that.

The surprising fact? For all that work, pay was fixed at $1000 per month with a 1.5 month delay (December paycheck is due in mid-February). I am glad I had the experience, though, but I definitely can tell why so many people are disappointed at the company. Like I said, few jobs ever sounded so good on paper!

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Those dirt bags can only do this to you if you allow it ~ I learned this hard lesson the hard way decades ago , you just have to draw a line in the sand then work your butt off only during the time they're paying you .

Surrendering your time code password was a huge mistake and should have been your initial red flag they were going to screw you like it or not .

Glad you came out of it O.K. though .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I've come to notice that working for unscrupulous employers is a delicate balance between bowing one's head and submitting to the fear of being fired, and the assurance that one will be fired if one complains or tries to do things by the book (what happened in Dubai). If the headquarters support these crooks, may as well be the one giving them the finger!

If there was a 'higher' authority willing to do things right, it would have been a very different experience. However, it seems like the auctioneer, Headquarters and even Royal Caribbean are in collusion to maintain things the way they are. Most people working for cruise ships are there because things are so bad back in their home countries that they simply have no choice than to live in fear and submission. That's what these crooks are used to, hence the fact that they can get away with whatever they please.

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Agreed and understood Miguel ;

However , how one comports one's self in all circumstances is (IMO) very important .

Some folks may not like me but everyone knows I am 100 % honest in my dealings , this is important to me , I can always get another job , as can a talented Man like you .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

lots of things sound illegal about the way that job is operated

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

I've only ever been on a cruise ship once before and it was full of surly Russians all complaining "when are we going to make money". That kind of set the tone for the whole experience. The customers were prey. It was a bit like being confined in a floating bucket by begging theiving gypsy bastards. We couldn't wait to get off the sodding thing.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Holy crap, Miguel. Things have to pan out sooner or later! Right?!?!

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

EXACTLY what it felt like.

Not sure... I have run out of aces up my sleeve. I am penniless and will start flipping burgers (I kid you not) tomorrow.

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Just remember this Miguel :

When life closes a door ,

Jump out the window .

You'll be fine , just give it time , you're very young yet , you have a good head on your shoulders .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

My friend, if there is ANY path to putting your feet on US soil.... you have a guaranteed warm room and unlimited vat of hot food in The Big Yellow House. And, for the record.... I am 100% comfortable with creative bookkeeping.

__________________
1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

Sure seems as though you're penalized for trying to get into the U.S. through legal channels. I don't know if that's or . Or both.

Just go to Mexico and sneak over the border and you're in!

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

It's frustrating, but it's the law. I do not know what's more angering; the fact that the US grants all sorts of blessings upon illegal immigrants, or the situation with the apprenticeship offer at the Petersen that was impossible due to all the immigration bureaucracy...

Thank you, Jim... I really miss Meridythe's vegetarian cooking! I really hope there is a way (fingers crossed for the 2015 Green Card lottery) to make back to the USA!

__________________
[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.